WELLINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) – New Zealand welcomed tons of of travellers from Australia with emotional scenes on Wednesday as it opened its borders to its trans-Tasmanian neighbour for the primary time since mid-2021.
Maori cultural performers greeted travellers whereas households and buddies hugged and cried on the Auckland International Airport (AIA.NZ) the place two flights from Australia landed this morning. Those ready within the arrivals lounge held up boards saying “Hello & Kia Ora & G’day & Welcome”.
“Just so, so excited to be back, and all I really want to do is spend time with the family really,” Jane Cheeseman instructed the New Zealand Herald, as she and her two kids had been reunited along with her sister forward of Easter vacation.
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New Zealand had among the hardest curbs on the planet throughout the pandemic and its borders have been closed for more often than not since March 2020, apart from a short-lived journey bubble with Australia final 12 months that was suspended after a couple of months as COVID-19 unfold. learn extra
But the federal government has began to ease these more and more unpopular measures, hoping to spice up tourism and ease labour shortages now that Omicron is widespread domestically.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern instructed Australia’s Channel 7 she was “extraordinarily excited” concerning the reopening.
“I can’t actually imagine or remember a time when we would have been just so excited to be welcoming our Australian family back to our shores. It’s very genuine,” she added.
Air New Zealand (AIR.NZ) mentioned it was working 11 near-full flights from Australia on Wednesday.
An Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER airplane taxis after touchdown at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia, February 22, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz
“This is the first step in welcoming international visitors back to our shores and we couldn’t be more excited for both New Zealand and Air New Zealand,” the airline’s chief buyer and gross sales officer, Leanne Geraghty, mentioned in a press release.
RULES FOR TRAVELLERS
Foreigners had been beforehand banned from getting into New Zealand, and till February residents seeking to return needed to both make emergency requests to the federal government or safe a spot in state quarantine amenities.
Most travellers coming into the nation need to undertake pre-departure and arrival testing, whereas most foreigners are additionally required to be totally vaccinated.
Tourists from visa-waiver nations together with the United States, Britain and Singapore will have the ability to go to from May 1. The border will stay closed for all different visitors till October. learn extra
Chris Hipkins, COVID-19 Response Minister, mentioned curbs within the nation could be additional eased as the variety of new instances fall.
From Thursday, there will probably be no restrictions on the variety of individuals attending indoor occasions and there will probably be some easing on the place masks need to be worn.
New Zealand, which has a inhabitants of simply over 5 million, reported 9,542 new instances up to now 24 hours, nicely under a peak of greater than 20,000 new instances a day. It has recorded simply 497 deaths from COVID because the begin of the outbreak.
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Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Himani Sarkar
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
With hugs, tears and Maori performers, NZ welcomes Australian visitors as curbs ease & More Latest News Update
With hugs, tears and Maori performers, NZ welcomes Australian visitors as curbs ease & More Live News
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